


Where Do We Go From Here?

by mattzerella_sticks



Series: Season 14 Inspired [22]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst and Feels, Canonical Character Death, Coda, Cuddling, Discussion of Mortality, Episode Related, Immortal Castiel (Supernatural), Immortal Jack, Jack uses his powers, M/M, Minor Character Death, Optimistic Jack Kline, Post-Episode: s14e14 Ouroboros, Season/Series 14 Spoilers, Sharing a Bed, Sweet Castiel, Sweet Dean Winchester, The Empty (Supernatural), infirmary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-11-13 19:29:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18037475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mattzerella_sticks/pseuds/mattzerella_sticks
Summary: 14x14 "Ouroboros" CodaNow that Michael's defeated, what do the Winchesters have to do? Are there any more monsters on the horizon... or can they finally appreciate the time they have together?





	Where Do We Go From Here?

**Author's Note:**

> I said I'd be back with another Coda! I will admit this was difficult as I wanted to write from Jack's POV (which I don't think I've done for this season yet). But this was also difficult because like THAT ENDING!?! I bet it blew up a lot of coda writers plans lol.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

            Jack watched Rowena from his place next to her cot in the infirmary. Hers was the only bed whose sheet wasn’t pulled up and over a body. Michael’s defeat was double-edged. While he was gone and Jack’s powers were restored, unfortunately the damage he caused was done and there had been no way of going back. Sam stepped into the room, his voice carrying over from where he talked on the phone.

            “…Yeah, yeah we’ll wait until you get here,” he said, “I alerted everyone else, they should be making their way here. It’ll be a… it’s going to be a large one. Okay, I love you too, mom. Bye.” He hung up by the time he reached Jack. “Hey, is everything…”

            “She’s stable,” Jack told him, “Michael… took a lot out of her. But she’s still here.”

            Sam nodded, scrubbing a hand down his face. “I figured but…”

            Jack offered a grim smile, lips pulled tight. “I understand.”

            Looking out amongst the corpses, Sam sighed. His head hung low, hair masking his face from Jack. “This… today’s been rough, Jack.”

            Jack agreed. He laid his hand on Sam’s shoulder, squeezing it twice in a show of comfort. “It has. I wish there were… many things done differently. But, in the end… We have to be glad that Michael is gone. I believe that all our friends, they would be proud that Michael’s plans have been thwarted here and now.”

            Sam turned to him, smiling. “Yeah, yeah that’s… I’d like to believe that, too.”

            They fell into a comfortable silence, neither feeling the need to say anything. But Sam’s phone chimed again. Pulling it out, he sighed. “I have to take this,” he said, “Listen, people probably won’t be coming by until noon the latest. I don’t know if you still need to sleep or –“

            “Not really but…” Jack glanced around the room, “I don’t think I should stay here either. I think I might walk around, maybe turn on Netflix. Now that I have my powers back bingeing shows seems easier.”

            He smiled at Jack. “The world’s your oyster.”

            Jack held his shoulder a beat longer before dropping it and leaving. Exiting the infirmary, he let his mind wander as his legs guided him whichever way they wanted. He touched upon a variety of thoughts; ranging from what shows he wanted to watch, to wondering whether his friends were resting up in Heaven even after what Michael did. Voices broke through his distracted haze, bringing him back into the present. Slowing down, he realized that he had reached the hallway where Dean’s room was and that the voices belonged to Dean and Cas.

            His door was open slightly, an inviting sliver of darkness where the voices sung out to him. Following them, Jack ran his fingers across the wall. Reaching the door, he listened.

            Dean was speaking; his voice rough and weary from the day’s madness. “…feels like I can think clearly now. That everything I was putting towards keeping Michael locked up is just…” He stopped, and then resumed. “You sure he’s –“

            “I checked three times,” Castiel told him, “usually angels leave small amounts of their grace but Michael… I think he took everything with him.”

            “Good, good…”

            There’s some slight rustling on the other side, and Jack wished he could peer in without revealing himself. Instead he resigned himself to eavesdropping.

            “Dean,” Castiel said, “You…you amaze me.”

            “How come?”

            “Well, usually after an archangel leaves its vessel, they are… there’s little hope of them coming back. You remember Raphael’s first…”

            “Sure do. Not a pretty sight.”

            “I’m proud of you, of the strength you carry inside.”

            “It’s nothing, really, just some ol’ Winchester stubbornness.”

            Jack shook his head, laughing silently at Dean’s deflection of Castiel’s compliment. He imagined the older hunter blushing, scratching at his neck or ducking his head away from Castiel. That led him to picture how the scene must look inside Dean’s room. Even though he could hear them, Jack knew their voices weren’t that loud. They had to be close to one another. And with the cover of darkness, Jack believed however they held their conversation must be breaking a few of the personal space rules Dean set up.

            “Still,” Castiel said, “I’m so, very… _happy_ to have you back. Before, after the Gorgon… I thought… I thought I had almost lost –“

            “Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Dean shushed him, “I’m here, and I’m not going _anywhere_.” He chuckled, then. “Especially not into some box at the bottom of the ocean.”

            Castiel wasn’t amused, his tone of voice the kind of chastising Jack remembers whenever he was caught getting into trouble by his angel father. “Dean,” he sighed, “You shouldn’t joke about that.”

            “C’mon Cas, it’s not like there’s any chance of me going in it now, is there?”

            “Still, I… the possibility that you almost did it… unnerved me.”

            Jack heard the sheets shift, as if Dean pulled back the covers on his bed before refitting them. “I know you were never going to put me in the box.”

            Castiel gasped, but he didn’t say anything.

            “And I was pissed, before. Because I couldn’t wrap my head around _why_ you wouldn’t do this. Sam, this is the kind of shit I’ve come to suspect. But he would have put me in there if he knew there was nothing left. Kid doesn’t go back on his word. _You_ never promised me. Every time I brought it up you never said anything, always tried changing the subject. All the other times, you might have fought but I could see this kind of… resigned acceptance behind your eyes. There was something else there… that I… I still don’t understand.”

            Jack leaned closer, nearly falling into the open crack. He hadn’t known of Dean’s plan, and could care less now that Michael is gone. Except what he said about Castiel piqued his own interest.

            “Dean, I…” Castiel started, voice low and mournful, “You were right. Even if it had meant the end of the world I… I would _never_ have followed through with your _idiotic_ plan.”

            “Hey, it wasn’t my idea – it was Billie’s.”

            “Then Billie’s _idiotic_ plan that you were _stupid_ enough to consider.”

            “Where’s all this hostility coming from?”

            “From the part of me that didn’t want to lose you again,” Castiel practically shouted. His voice hadn’t risen above a whisper, but the sheer power contained within each note and growl made even Jack leap back in fright. “Who couldn’t bear to see Michael win and _have_ you. That understands you and I have such a short time before you… before we can no longer do something as simple as _this_.” Jack only has a short amount of time to consider what Castiel referred to before he continued with his speech. “I would have risked the world a thousand times because I’m _selfish_. Because I don’t delude myself into thinking the angels will allow me to join you up in Heaven. So I have to make every second count until you can’t outrun Death anymore. Then, for however long I serve humanity, I can look back knowing I _lived_. I cared for my family, and protected them. We made our peace and left with no re-“

            Jack wanted to cry. Castiel was cut off, and he was unsure why. As if sensing his burning curiosity, his grace flared inside. Jack’s eyes burned amber as he pushed his senses even further. Looking behind the wall, Jack took the scene before him in.

            Dean and Castiel were lying in bed, their backs against the headboards and covers pooled at their laps. The reason for Castiel’s silence was simple. Dean had one hand on his cheek, as if to steady himself while kissing Castiel. He had his eyes closed, and in the few seconds of their embrace Castiel fluttered his eyes shut. Then, they shot back open and he pulled back.

            “Dean…” he muttered, mouth agape, “You… why did you…”

            “I was going off your lead, Cas,” Dean told him, “No regrets? I totally agree. All my life, I’ve sacrificed and let go for others. It’s rare for me to be selfish. I think I deserve to be that way, right? Especially after the hell I’ve gone through. Out of everything I _could_ have, there’s really only one thing I _want_. And I’ve already got you in my bed, angel…”

            He dipped in again; unfortunately Castiel placed a hand on his chest to keep him at bay. Dean blinked, skewing his head to the side in imitation of the very angel he sat next to.

            “It’s… it’s not that I don’t want to, Dean,” Castiel admitted, “But after what we all went through tonight I… I’m not really in the mood for anything of that nature.”

            Dean pulled back, frowning. He ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, yeah…” he said, “I get it.” He glanced at him through the corner of his eye. “But this… you’re totally cool doing other things?”

            “What do you mean by other things?”

            He smirked, grabbing the hand still on his chest. “Hand holding,” he said, “Sharing a bed… _kissing_.”

            Castiel offered him a small smile. From outside, he looked bashfully gleeful. But with Jack’s powers he could identify a deep melancholy radiating from within Castiel’s spirit. “These are all things I have wished but never thought I could have.”

            “Well you can,” Dean assured him, “If you’re going to be here long after I’m gone I want you to have as many memories of this to keep close to your heart. Because I know in my Heaven there won’t be a moment where I’m separated from you.”

            He smiled at Dean, this time stealing a kiss. “That’s beautiful, Dean.”

            “I sure hope so, I’m not sappy for just anybody…”

            Castiel rolled his eyes. “Go to sleep Dean.”

            Dean shyly ducked his head, bottom lip caught between his teeth.

            There was something on his mind, obvious even to Jack. Castiel raised a brow. “What is it?”

            “I… Are you going to be here when I wake up?”

            Castiel let the question hang in the air, and even Jack was unsure how he would answer. But then he lifted their joined hands to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to Dean’s. “I may come and go, but I assure you that when you open your eyes I’ll still be here.”

            Dean beamed. “Okay.” Then he let go, shuffling down the bed until his head hit the pillow. Jack stopped watching then, curiosity sated. He stayed there, however, heart too warm to consider stepping away.

            Jack did move, when he senses a light pair of feet hitting the floor. He tried to run, but Castiel stuck his head out before he rounded the corner. “Jack,” he called out, tone sharp.

            Knowing he was caught, Jack shuffled back.

            Castiel stood before, less composed but still looking stern. Jack noticed the change in clothing, something he didn’t realize when gazing in before. He was dressed in a white undershirt and sweatpants that hung at his hips, clearly not belonging to him.

            “You heard everything?” Cas asked. He didn’t need an answer, and didn’t wait for one. “Now that your powers are back, I felt your presence for a majority of our conversation.”

            “You didn’t talk before I got there?”

            “We did, a little,” Castiel told him, “We’d only been there for a few minutes. A lot of time was spent convincing Dean to sleep… and he wouldn’t go unless I joined him…”

            Jack smiled. “You and he, you’re…”

            Castiel turned away, frowning. “We are… we’re working things out.”

            He squinted at his father. “You’re upset.”

            “Of course I’m upset.”

            “Why?”

            “Would you rather I be happy?” Castiel asked instead, “That I allow myself to enjoy this moment for what it was, as if there weren’t another monster waiting to snatch it all away the moment I do?”

            Jack startled, eyes widening. He almost forgot the Empty, and the deal he foisted upon Castiel. Tears pooled at the corners of his eyes, but he swiped them away before they could fall.

            “Castiel… before, is that what you were talking about?”

            Sighing, he let his shoulders sag as if dragged down by mountains. Castiel let the burdens he took show. “We’re immortals Jack. All we get to _have_ is memories. The Empty robbed me of even that, as each moment I share with Dean will be tinged with its black tendrils. Keeping me from fully giving myself in to happiness. Always wondering if I’ll be around to see the sun shine, to greet Dean good morning. Because in the Empty, there are no moments, no memories, no family and no… no _Dean_ ; I might not be able to keep Dean forever, but I’ll be damned if he has to watch me die one more time.”

            Jack reached out with his grace to Castiel, nearly doubling over with the ferocious waves of sadness rolling over him. He tried shining his own warmth, the good feelings brought about by defeating Michael, to raise his spirits. “Castiel,” he said, “we will find a way.”

            “This is the Empty, Jack,” he sighed, “We barely beat it before –“

            “That was before. But now, I have my powers back. Powers that were able to break through and bring you _back_ ,” Jack urged, smiling, “It might be an ancient, all-powerful deity but _we_ are _Winchesters._ Once we set our minds to something, we’ll find a way.”

            Castiel attempted a smile, but it was a frightening grimace. “I can only pray that your optimism proves true.”

            Jack nodded, “It has to, Cas. We’re the good guys. We _earned_ it.”

            As if triggered, Castiel launched himself across the divide and engulfed Jack in a hug. Jack, stunned for a moment, returned it in a heartbeat. “I’m so proud of who you are, Jack,” Castiel told him, “At least when all else fades, we’ll still have each other.”

            Jack pulled him even closer, unwilling to let go. After a long beat, they finally let go. “I should probably –“

            “Before you do,” Castiel holds his wrist, “I must ask… please, don’t tell Dean. If the others find out, then they find out but… Dean can’t know.”

            Jack frowned. “He has to find out at some point.”

            “I understand,” Castiel nodded, “But… I have to tell him. In my own time.”

            Jack agreed, and he’s let go. “What are you going to do until then?”

            Castiel glanced back into the room, showing a glimmer of a real smile. “I’ll be there for Dean, as I always am.” He left after that, returning to the room. Jack tiptoed closer, peering in to watch Castiel slip in beside Dean. Dean rolled over, tossing an arm around Castiel’s figure.

            Jack turned away, charting a course for the library. Netflix forgotten, he realized the only thing he could do now was research. Because after being privy to a scene like that, he’ll be damned if anything tries to tear his family apart again.

**Author's Note:**

> You like? I sure hope so!
> 
> Drop a kudos/comment to let me know what you thought!


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